SSAC

Moderator: Arda Ocal  Panelists: Meghan Chayka, Tyler Dellow, P.K. Subban, Jacqueline Davidson There's a changing of the guard underway in the NHL, with legendary superstars entering the twilight of their careers and a new crop of generational talents on the way up. As this new era of the NHL gets underway, how are front office executives thinking about roster construction? What's the balance between analytics and eye test? How do you construct a roster that can handle the grind of the regular season while making sure you have a team that's built to succeed in the playoffs? From the player’s perspective, how is this next generation of NHL athletes thinking about analytics to improve their game, scout opposing teams and maximize their recovery? Come find out all this and more from 13 year NHL veteran PK Subban, NHL front office executives Brett Peterson and Tyler Delllow and Stathletes Co-Founder and CEO Meghan Chayka. #StatsToStanleyCups

NBA executives Daryl Morey, Monte McNair, and Nico Harrison discuss the hidden factors and behind-the-scenes challenges of sports negotiations. They explore the complexities of internal team dynamics, strategic decision-making, media influence, and negotiating styles in high-stakes deals, shedding light on the intricacies of building championship-level teams.

Moderator: Alison Overholt Panelists: Kat Frederick, Tim Clark, Carolyn Tisch There are more ways than ever for fans and organizations to engage and interact, both digitally and in-person. By extending the game day experience and connecting more broadly with fully virtual viewing opportunities, sports organizations have an abundance of options to reach more fans in new and different ways. However, maximizing fan attention and engagement remains a challenge in a world where so many alternatives exist. This panel will delve into the ways that organizations foster authentic and long lasting fan engagement and how they differentiate in their local market while globalizing their brand. Panelists will also discuss the increasing role of technology and who owns the fan data along with the growing need for analytics to connect sports and fans. #fanalytics

Gerry Cardinale, founder of Redbird Capital Partners, discusses innovative sports investment strategies. Rich Kleiman, co-founder of Boardroom, shares insights on emerging leagues and fan engagement. Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, explores the evolving landscape of sports ownership. The trio delves into the impact of globalization, technology, and media partnerships on sports franchises, highlighting opportunities in women's sports and the complexities of navigating ownership challenges. Their perspectives reveal the future trends shaping the global sports economy.

Michael Lewis, the author of 'Moneyball', joins baseball historian Bill James, former NBA champion Shane Battier, and Daryl Morey, an analytics pioneer in basketball. They discuss the transformative power of data in sports over the last two decades. The conversation delves into how analytics changed player evaluations and team strategies in baseball and basketball. Personal anecdotes illustrate the emotional narratives of overlooked talent, while leaders reflect on the importance of balancing metrics with team dynamics and inspiring players.

Michael Rubin - CEO, Fanatics DeMaurice Smith - Executive Director - National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Tamika Tremaglio - Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)   Over the past 5 years, we’ve seen a massive shift in how players are directly engaging with fans, investing into business, and using their platform to affect societal change.  As players step into their collective power, the NBAPA, NFLPA, and partners like Fanatics are redefining the role and impact of player influence within and across the sports industry. Featuring DeMaurice Smith (NFLPA Executive Director), Tamika Tremaglio (NBPA, Executive Director), and Michael Rubin (CEO of Fanatics), Jessica Gelman will guide a discussion on how these industry innovators are adjusting their business models, creating new business lines, driving the future of fan interactivity and have altered the player power landscape to innovate sports.

Stef Strack - Founder & CEO, Voice in Sport, and Voice in Sport Foundation Billy Bean - SVP | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Major League Baseball (MLB) Sola Winley - EVP Office of the Commissioner and Chief DEI Officer, Major League Soccer (MLS) Jonathan Beane - Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, NFL Katie Burke (moderator) - Chief People Officer, HubSpot   Sports organizations are prioritizing and developing programs to broaden DEI. However, despite increased discussion, media attention, and data supporting diversity, women, people of color, non-binary, and LGBTQ leaders continue to be underrepresented in sports from entry-level to most glaringly in the executive branch. Importantly, leagues are investing heavily in equaling the playing field from employees to vendors to partners with a diversity priority. Over the past few years, major sports leagues have created new policies, hired DEI leaders, and shared their representations from business to team to front office. This panel brings together the league leaders who are driving change at the macro and team-level to increase representation. Moderated by Katie Burke, regarded as a leading voice of culture at Hubspot, learn what is working, what the data says, and how much more we need to do to accelerate representation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports.

Jessica Berman - Commissioner, National Women’s Soccer League Johanna Faries - Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard Jackie MacMullan (moderator) - Retired Senior Writer   Sports has long been a microcosm for society at large and given the public visibility athletes, teams, and leagues expected to lead on all aspects of culture. From players to fans to ownership expectations, it is more critical than ever that organizations listen, respond, and set a path towards evolution. Led by Jackie MacMullan, listen in as Jessica Berman (NWSL Commissioner) and Johanna Faries (Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard) discuss the process of defining a path forward as organizations invest heavily in cultures to set new precedents, ensure employee, fan, and player satisfaction and improve the organization’s outcomes. With many competing stakeholders, this panel will feature perspectives from all angles of cultural change within and around the sports industry.

Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr Brian Westbrook - Managing Director of Athlete Entrepreneur Network, underdog venture team Lindsay Kagawa Colas - Executive Vice President, Talent + The Collective, Wasserman Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN   Star athletes develop strong name recognition for their feats on the field, but their professional athletic careers represent just a fraction of their lives. After retirement (or sometimes even before), athletes embark on numerous different pathways, often using their platform and lessons learned in their playing careers to make an impact on the broader world. This panel convenes star athletes and one of the most prominent agents in sports for a discussion centered on entrepreneurship and investment as a means to drive positive change.

Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr Brad Stevens - President of Basketball Operations, Boston Celtics Steve Magness - Performance Coach, Author Michael Lewis (moderator) - Author & Journalist   Pressure in sports comes in many forms and some people "have it." Listen in as legendary clutch performer Sue Bird shares how she handles the highest-pressure moments on the court and in boardrooms, how former coach and now team architect Brad Stevens defines the value of performance under pressure for his players, and how performance coach Steve Magness studies the science of these skills to drive performance improvement. Can the "clutch ability" be measured? How do we define clutch? End of shot clock, end of game, importance of the game? How do athletes prepare to perform under pressure mentally and physically? Join this myth-busting discussion led by Michael Lewis as leaders in this area attempt to answer what truly makes the best athletes perform under pressure.